topic Re: 2000 foot Bridge in Wireless

2000 foot Bridge

jbwade — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:53:01 GMT

I would like to build a bridge between two Cisco switches. Because of the company I work for I have to Meraki devices. Has anyone been successful in building a bridge between two devices up to 2000 feet able? Currently I'm using these TP-Link Omada Point to Point Wireless Bridge Outdoor devices. Their not reliable. Thanks in advance.

Re: 2000 foot Bridge

Mark Elsen — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 17:20:12 GMT

- @jbwade A number of options (including tests) are discussed in :
https://www.ciscolive.com/c/dam/r/ciscolive/global-event/docs/2022/pdf/BRKEWN-2832.pdf

Re: 2000 foot Bridge

Scott Fella — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 17:22:14 GMT

My opinion is really dependent on your budget and the throughput you need. I have seen deployments for Proxim to lower cost Ubiquity bridges. The main thing is that they are mounted properly to that wind/weather doesn't affect the link.

Re: 2000 foot Bridge

Leo Laohoo — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 20:34:23 GMT

I agree with @Scott Fella and this is highly dependent on how secure both antennas are installed against strong winds.

We have several point-to-point bridges spanning several kilometres (per site) and all the antennas were installed by professional installers.

Re: 2000 foot Bridge

jbwade — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 21:27:41 GMT

Wind and weather is a big deal for us here on the coast. Also, I have to stay with Meraki equipment, company mandate..

Re: 2000 foot Bridge

Leo Laohoo — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 21:50:42 GMT

@jbwade wrote:
I have to stay with Meraki equipment, company mandate..

It does not matter what the manufacturer is. The choice of antennas and how secure are the antennas installed are the keystone to a reliable point-to-point bridge.

Re: 2000 foot Bridge

Scott Fella — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:34:48 GMT

So let me ask. If you can only use Meraki, what product are you going to buy that is an outdoor bridge?

Re: 2000 foot Bridge

jbwade — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:51:11 GMT

This is what Google Gemini and I came up with:

To reach 2,000 feet with a Meraki setup, you cannot use standard internal or omnidirectional antennas, which typically only reach about 328 feet (100 meters). You will need a Point-to-Point (PtP) wireless bridge configuration using outdoor-rated access points paired with high-gain directional antennas.

Recommended Equipment for a 2,000ft Bridge
For a reliable link at this distance, you should use the following hardware at both the "Gateway" (connected to your wired network) and the "Repeater" (the remote end):
• Access Point:
Cisco Meraki MR76 or MR86
o These are ruggedized, IP67-rated outdoor access points designed for harsh environments.
o They feature external antenna connectors (N-type), which are required to attach the long-range directional antennas needed for a 2,000ft span.
• Antenna:
Cisco Meraki MA-ANT-25 (Patch Antenna)
o This is a dual-band directional patch antenna that concentrates the signal into a narrow beam.
o While Meraki doesn't give a "hard" max distance, professional installers successfully use this combination for spans exceeding 1,000–2,000 feet when there is a clear line of sight.

Key Requirements for Success
• Clear Line of Sight (LoS): At 2,000 feet, any physical obstruction—like trees, buildings, or even heavy foliage—will significantly degrade or kill the signal.
• Mounting Height: To avoid signal reflection from the ground (the Fresnel zone), both radios should be mounted high up, ideally 20–30 feet above the ground.
• Precision Alignment: Directional antennas have a narrow "beam-width." You must manually align them so they are pointing directly at each other for maximum signal strength.
• Power at Remote End: Remember that while the signal is wireless, the remote Meraki unit still needs power (typically via a PoE injector).

Pro Tip: If your goal is strictly a high-speed backhaul link rather than providing Wi-Fi to clients along the way, some engineers use dedicated PtP bridge brands (like Ubiquiti or Siklu) and then plug a Meraki AP into the remote end for managed Wi-Fi access.

Re: 2000 foot Bridge

Leo Laohoo — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 20:44:30 GMT

Get a reputable wireless designer to do the design and get a reputable antenna installer to perform the installation.

A novice asking ChatGPT/Gemini for technical advice is like Krafton CEO turning to ChatGPT to come up with a plan to double-cross Subnautica developers Unknown Worlds out of $250 million. What could possibly go wrong?

Re: 2000 foot Bridge

Scott Fella — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 01:55:32 GMT

Well, there you go. Since you have to use Meraki, you already have the recommended parts. Just make sure it’s installed properly. Good luck.

Re: 2000 foot Bridge

Rich R — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 12:51:12 GMT

> Wind and weather is a big deal for us here on the coast.
> Clear Line of Sight (LoS): At 2,000 feet, any physical obstruction—like trees, buildings, or even heavy foliage—will significantly degrade or kill the signal.

Heavy rain will degrade the signal regardless of how well it has been set up so be prepared for occasional issues with that weather ...